Ontario Highway 98 - History

History

This road's purpose was to be an alternate route for people travelling on Highways 2 and 3 before Highway 401 opened in 1952. The highway's original length was only 55 km (stretching from Windsor to Tilbury), and was originally known as Highway 2A from 1929 to 1938.

In 1941, the road was extended by 40 km when a new township road in Kent County, extending to Blenheim, was uploaded as Highway 98. This brought the highway up to its maximum length,.

Originally, this road was designated as Highway 2. When Highway 2 was first numbered (in 1925, though it was in provincial power since 1917), it started at the ferry dock between Dougall Avenue and Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor, concurrent with Highway 3. Highways 2 and 3 travelled down Ouellette Avenue to Tecumseh Road, where it made a short three-block jog west to Dougall Avenue. It then travelled south to Talbot Road, and headed east along Talbot Road to Malden Road in Maidstone.

From here, Highways 2 and 3 parted ways. Highway 3 continued to Essex and Leamington (via County Road 34's present alignment), while Highway 2 travelled up Malden Road to Middle Road (Essex CR 46), and continued to Tilbury, Chatham, London and points east.

Before 1929, Highway 18 connected Windsor to Tilbury along today's County Road 42/Division Road, while Highways 2 and 3 were concurrent along Ouellette Avenue from the Ferry Docks (located between Howard Avenue and Ouellette Avenue) to Talbot Road. They split company at Maidstone (today's junction of County Road 34 and Former Highway 114). Highway 3 would continue through Essex, Ontario to Leamington and points east, while Highway 2 followed Malden Road (Former Highway 114) to Middle Road (What would become Highway 2A, then Highway 98, ultimately today's County Road 46).

Read more about this topic:  Ontario Highway 98

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